Our Coaches

Our coaching philosophy centres on fostering a high-performance culture that prioritises athlete development, well-being, and excellence.

GSC provides a structured, supportive environment where swimmers can reach their full potential, balancing rigorous training with clear recovery principles. We focus on long-term growth over short-term gains, emphasising aerobic conditioning, personalised programs, and open communication with athletes and their support teams. Athlete health is paramount, with injury prevention and proactive management through trusted physio partners.

We aim to cultivate leadership, accountability, and adaptability, while offering expert coaching, advanced facilities, and individual pathways to success. Through collaboration with families, support staff, and external partners, GSC strives to be a destination club that develops elite athletes and celebrates achievements at national and international levels. Cutting-edge tools and innovative coaching practices keep our swimmers primed to excel.

Coach Rob

With an 18-year competitive swimming career spanning National Age and Open championships with Ballarat GCO and Albury Swimming Club, Rob Steinman brings elite athletic insight to pool deck.

Over his eight years with Geelong Swimming Club, Rob has successfully progressed athletes from junior beginners to Victorian Country Championships and National Age medalists.

Currently serving as our National Squad Coach, Rob blends his elite swimming knowledge with his professional skill set as a Primary School teacher to provide high-performance mentorship, comprehensive training, and technical excellence.

Coach Coop

Mark “Coop” Cooper represented New Zealand internationally across the Trans-Tasman Series, Youth Olympics, Youth Commonwealth Games and World Cup meets, setting multiple national age-group records and winning numerous national titles.

Twenty years on pool decks have since taken Coop from teaching three-year-olds to coaching at national level, alongside managing learn-to-swim and gymnastics centres, founding a competitive club and presenting Swimming Australia coaching and teaching courses to the coaches who came after him.

Through his business Cooper Consulting, Coop is a Neuro-Coaching specialist working with everyone from people recovering from trauma to athletes chasing elite mindset conditioning. He is also a father of three.

Coach Nathan

Nathan brings more than nine years of dedicated coaching experience to the Geelong Swimming Club, having successfully transitioned from a competitive swimming background into a passionate athlete developer.

Joining the GSC coaching panel in April 2022, Nathan currently leads the State Gold squad, creating a high-energy, positive, and goal-driven environment designed to transition aspiring athletes into state and national-level competitors.

Beyond his work with GSC, Nathan serves as the Head of Swimming at Geelong Grammar School, where he directs the prestigious APS swimming program.

Coach Alicia

Alicia brings over a decade of competitive experience to the pool deck. Her competitive career includes training with the Eltham Dolphins and serving as Club Captain at Doncaster Templestowe, where she achieved state and national qualifying times.

Now based in Geelong, Alicia leverages her competitive swimming experience and over four years of professional swim teaching expertise to lead GSC’s Intermediate Squad which focuses heavily on technique development and race readiness

Coach Will

Will swam competitively with GSC for five years, earning country medals and reaching state finals.

With over three years’ experience at our Learn to Swim School, he has worked with swimmers of all ages and abilities. Now as State Squad Coach, Will shares his expertise to develop and inspire the club’s next generation of athletes.

Will is also the Senior Assistant Coach at Geelong Grammar School, where he supports the growth of the APS swimming program.

Coach Brooke

Brooke began swimming with the club at just 7 years old and has been a dedicated member ever since. Over the years, she has competed at numerous high-level meets, including Long Course Age Nationals, Short Course Open Nationals, the Victorian State Championships (Age and Open), and the Country Championships.

Brooke has been actively involved in supporting the club’s development programs, having taught in the Learn to Swim program and now coaches our Junior Development squad where she continues to share her experience and passion for the sport.

Coach Macy

Macy brings a deeply personal understanding of the Geelong Swimming Club culture to the pool deck, having spent six successful years competing as an athlete with the club. The outstanding coaching and mentorship she received during her own competitive career directly inspired her to transition to the other side of the lane rope and begin her own journey in swim coaching.

Macy developed her foundational teaching skills within GSC's Learn to Swim program, helping young swimmers refine their stroke mechanics and build confidence in the water. Building on this strong foundation, Macy now coaches our Junior Performance Squad.

Coach Zach

Zach is a former GSC athlete and was competitive for 13 years at the national level in both age and open championships. During his time at GSC, Zach served as club captain for several years, recognising his natural leadership skills.

Awarded a swimming scholarship to St Peter’s Lutheran College in Brisbane, he trained under current Australian Dolphins coach Dean Boxall, refining his speed, endurance and race craft within one of Australia’s most prestigious swimming programs. This experience now strengthens his coaching through a deep understanding of elite training methods, technical development and the preparation required to help swimmers perform at their best.

Zach has had a number of successful coaching mentors whilst at GSC including Australian Dolphin Sam Ashby, John Beckworth and GSC life member and international multi-class coach Sadat-Jon Hussain. Zach is passionate about helping swimmers develop their skills, building speed endurance and making swimming enjoyable for every athlete.

Coach Andy

(Andelys) Andy has been a dedicated swim coach in Victoria since 2007, bringing a wealth of experience and passion to the pool. Andy is recognised as a coach in the Victorian Performance Pathway program and is part of the Swimming Australia W32 Project recognising aspiring female coaches in the performance space.

Andy has worked with swimmers of all ages and abilities—from juniors just starting out, to state and national medallists, masters swimmers, university athletes, and multi-class swimmers.

Andy’s coaching philosophy centres on team unity and encouraging participation at all levels of swimming, aiming to foster a lifelong love for the sport.